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Complementary feeding

Improved Infant and Young Child Feeding Takes Root in Nigeria

The 2013 Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) for Nigeria found that infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices remain suboptimal in Nigeria. Among other findings, only 17.4% of children under six months old are exclusively breastfeed, and only 35.3% of mothers are continuing breastfeeding at two years. Child nutrition outcomes are often poor, with the rate of wasting among children under five years old at 18.0% and the rate of stunting at 36.8%.

SPRING Disseminates Program Survey Results at Round Table Event

SPRING/Kyrgyz Republic, funded by USAID to address issues of chronic malnutrition and anemia among women and children of Kyrgyz Republic, hosted a round table event on Friday, November 17, 2017 to disseminate the findings from a series of four population-level surveys undertaken by the project over the past four years, including gains in nutrition outcome indicators.

Community Video (Guinea): La Diversification Alimentaire dans Nos Familles

Gnalen is the mother of a young son in Beindou, Guinea. One morning, her mother comes by and Gnalen asks her to watch her son while she prepares his meal. Gnalen shows her mother a platter of diverse foods that she will feed her son, including peanuts, dried fish, eggs, avocado, and milk, and describes how she will prepare these foods as part of the porridge that she will feed the baby. Gnalen’s mother is impressed at how much Gnalen knows about nutrition and tells her that this must be why the boy is growing up so fast and so strong!

Community Video (Burkina Faso): Les Produits Locaux dans la Diversification Alimentaire chez L’Enfant

On her way back from the field, Delphine bumps into her friend Brigitte who asks why she has picked so many vegetables. Delphine tells her that it is not for a party, but instead, the healthy food is to complement the children’s “bouillie.” Delphine explains to Brigitte that she not only adds lots of nutrients to her over 6-month-old baby’s food but also that she gives healthy and nutritious snacks during the day. Delphine demonstrates and shows Brigitte how she adds nutritious food to her child’s meals.

Assessment of SPRING-supported Implementation of Infant and Young Child Feeding in Nigeria

A woman smiles at the camera while holding her baby.
Photo credit: Tim Williams, SPRING

Undernutrition affects all income levels and geographic zones of Nigeria. In the 2013 Demographic and Health Survey in Nigeria, 37 percent of children under 5 years old were stunted, 29 percent were underweight, and 18 percent were wasted (National Population Commission and ICF International 2014).